The Girl with the Light in her Eyes
by SunsetBreeze7x
Summary: A burst of sunshine came through the clouds, illuminating just about everything around him. The trees finally willed themselves to show their exuberant shades of green, and his fur returned from a dull gray to a royal blue. "It's been a while, hasn't it?" she whispered, her smile the source of the newly found effulgence. "I can't remember the last time I've seen the sun."
1. Prologue

**_Hey everyone, I'm back from the dead!_**

**_I've grown up a lot in the time I've been gone, and I've learned a damn lot about love._**

**_I'm now ready to fill you with feelings more so than ever before!_**

The Girl with Light in her Eyes

_~ Prologue ~_

The wind was bitter this early in the morning; vinegary cold like the intentions of a killer. A time of day where kindness is unknown ground and the desolate Earth bears its true colors. Yes, those colors that do not simply paint all life, but rather strike like a bullet; piercing through all, and leaving behind only their pigmentation stained upon the corpses of all that is good. Stained and ruined, what was once pure is now painted black, and has transformed.

One cannot help but to feel their inner darkness seeping out, the true pessimist that resides within every creature emerges, spreading an even further misery to all that may go near. Just as this evil is gained by one, it rapidly spreads like wild fire, becoming a plague of hatred across the land. It has no preference for whom or what it paints, it simply and absolutely rules.

The sky was gray, and the rising of the sun covered by the repulsive hue. There was a field; it was clearly neglected, filled with weeds and brown grasses. The entire planet lay a wasteland of filth corrupted by the advancements of technology.

Some may tell me that it was all for the best at the time; however I must sorely disagree. It never was for the better, and never will be. Throughout all of time, the destruction of nature has never been beneficial for anyone. Could only I see it?

I sighed in disappointment as I sped through the field, attempting to admire the little that was left in this world around me. The world that was once beautiful, but has now faded into only pigments of gray. The color had been taken from my world, and instead was replaced by the horrid truth. The true nature of the world showed itself to me, and has ruined me. I can never see her again, and the world only laughs as I struggle. The more I remember, the greater the pain. The solution may appear to be forget, but how could I? Affection is one thing, infatuation another, but love? I cannot possibly be expected to forget such a feeling.

The further my thoughts drifted about her, the faster my legs carried me. I began to feel as if I were flying, my legs ascending off of the dark, cold ground, until I finally flew off to the place where I'd see her up in the sky.

My fantasy soon came to an abrupt halt. She would never want to see me again, who was I fooling? That pristine gem of mine, my flawless rose had been stolen right out of the palms of my hands, and it was my own fault for letting her slip away.

Hero? Please. I'm just a pathetic mess who can't even protect the girl he loved the most. And what do I mean loved? I love her now, and I always will love her. But how could I have been so blind?!

All I did was run, trying to outrun the speed of my beating heart, and outrun the red creeping onto my face whenever I saw her. I ran, and hurt her. All I'm useful for is killing, not saving.

Sonic the hedgehog was no hero.

This plethora of thoughts caused my legs to come to a halt without my consent, or even knowledge. A tear escaped my eye faster than I could wipe at it. I shook my head with angst. I don't have the right to cry, especially after what I did to her. If anyone should be crying, it should be her.

But hell, she couldn't cry! I'm sure wherever she is, she's forgotten all about me, and is living where her kind belongs.

_Because angels belong in heaven._

This thought led me onto the verge of a breakdown. I did not know that she had met this fate; but it is what Tails had assumed. It had taken him all the courage in the world to be able to confess it to all of us, and it had taken us all the tears in the world and more to cry over her.

We had to face it; lying to ourselves wouldn't fix anything. Lying wouldn't bring her back into my arms.

The world was just so bleak without her. I gazed around once more; where all I could see was the ruined world, others could see color and beauty. Beauty? Ha. They must not have laid eyes on my girl. No flower, no rose for that matter, in the world could match the lovely hue of her quills.

No girl could match the kiss she gave to me that day.

No one could ever get me to fall in love like she did.

I couldn't fathom the thought of never being able to see her, to hold her, to kiss her , ever again. It's been a year and I still can't even imagine life without her forever! I lived a lie, because without her:

I was not living.

Merely a shell of my former self was what she left me, and what I will be forevermore, until my shell ceases to be. I felt the tears stinging at the corners of my eyes, and I couldn't decide whether I could risk having her watch me cry from up above, or to just let it out.

_Oh what the hell._

My tears attacked my face, invading every part of me, witnessing my pain. They entered my mind and fell off of my face in sorrow; they knew many more of them would be shed. All shed for her, the most special girl I had ever met, the only girl who could watch me make a decision, and come to a tacit understanding of my choices.

I wailed and sobbed, the tears taking my body over. It was as if they whispered into my ears:

_Stop the pain, Sonic. It's alright to cry._

My senses failed, and my body withered away into the scenery. I looked just as sad and dead as the gray field with its browned landscape, and overall dull appearance.

The true colors of the world were harsh; and god knows they painted my pure Amy into black.

But Amy was different from the other girls. Amy had the light in her eyes; the light that remained even through the darkness of the world.

~~~~~~

**_Thank you for reading! I'll try to update often!_**


	2. Chapter 1: A Cruel World

_**Thanks for reviews!**_

_**Onwards to the next chapter!**_

The Girl with Light in Her Eyes

~ Chapter 1 ~

Rapidly increasing pace, still lost in thought, the blue speedster finally came to an abrupt, yet certain, stop. He quickly observed his surroundings, and was absolutely sure in an instant that he had arrived at the place that he had set out for.

The memories burned brightly in his head; he did not even need to ponder a moment to remember how to get here. It was now the time he realized he had to accept his fate, and moreover accept her fate.

The large tree was enveloped by brambles every which way, constricting the tree like a snake. Its shape was similar to back then, but since it had wilted, and could have even died. Simply a shell composed of decaying wood, no longer thriving in the sunlight, but wilting in agony in the shade. The tree was so enfeebled that it made Sonic feel as if even one step on its branches would cause the entire tree to come crumbling to the ground.

Sonic approached the tree with fondness; even this ugly tree was once brimming with life, beautiful and young. He touched his palm to the trunk of the tree, and gazed upon its remains.

"It hasn't aged a day in my mind."

Sonic slowly climbed up the tree, almost timidly climbing up each branch. He had a look of regret on his face, as if not sure what he should expect to see.

* * *

"Sonic!"

A singsong voice called for the blue hedgehog, quickly running up to him, his brilliant blue quills swaying with perfection in the wind. Yet, they held some doubt in their sway, as if they willed everyone to see them as perfect, but had minds of their own and were skeptical of their beauty.

He quickly turned to see the rose colored maiden approaching him, and smiled warmly with a trace of attitude. Typical Sonic style. Amy had been ten minutes early, and Sonic had arrived fifteen minutes early to fluster the girl. She was adorable to him when she blushed.

"You made it." She spoke almost as if she could not believe for herself the sight she had beheld. As if she wanted to remember this instant for an eternity, she backed away from him a slight bit and looked around, as if the prosperous trees and flowers needed to each be memorized, one by one.

"As if _I _would stand anyone up. Have some more faith in me Ames! Say I decided to stand Eggman up; he'd be pretty hurt, wouldn't he?" Sonic smiled cockily, taking pride in every giggle that escaped her mouth. "Actually I don't think Eggman would be hurt at all; since you wouldn't be there to kick his butt." Amy winked at Sonic as he grinned.

The two began walking together, side by side sharing laughs and giggles. Amy sighed to herself, a sigh of relief. Thank god he had shown up today, but then again: why wouldn't he show up? Hiding her thoughts behind her happiness, she quickly began trotting to catch up with Sonic. The throbbing of her heart matched the steps they took, and almost tried to race with Sonic. Amy smiled to herself.

Eventually, the two came to a halt, and both paused a moment before speaking. Amy turned to Sonic, smiling at him. He hesitated, but smiled back at her nevertheless. Quickly, Sonic opened his mouth to get a conversation going.

"Beautiful day, huh?" Sonic smiled faintly, disdain in his voice. Luckily, his secret remained as such, and Amy simply smiled, nodding in agreement. The pair of hedgehogs continued to walk, Amy's hand taking Sonic's hostage. He turned away from her to blush, his face was abashed, but he also found himself frowning.

They approached the base of a tree, a flowering pink tree with vines of lively wisteria surrounding it. The pink and purple blended, creating a picture of perfection. Although, Sonic couldn't help but notice how the wisteria might be damaging the tree. Could the beautiful pink blossoms withstand the vines constricting it? It was a pitiful, yet also breathtaking sight. The pitiful tree was striving to live, but would eventually be led into ruin.

Amy was overjoyed at the sight of the tree and nimbly climbed up, while Sonic climbed after her ensuring her body of glass would not fall and shatter. His concern for her safety made the climb nothing more than unpleasant.

She was up before him, a rarity in this world. Thinking she had beat him for the first time, Amy mimicked Sonic's cocky smile, and challenged him: "So the fastest thing alive can't climb trees as fast as he runs huh?" Sonic merely smiled sheepishly at her, but at the same time frowned a bit inside. The tree was very high above the ground; they had ascended a good twenty feet to get to the branch they were at. Sonic, usually reckless and fearless, was feeling rather uneasy.

Before he knew it, a knife was plunged into the tree.

His heart jumped, and he almost let out a scream, while Amy glanced at this sudden insanity with confusion. She had merely embedded words into the trunk of the tree with her pocket knife, nothing to fear. Sonic tried to cover his trail by slapping the branch a little. "Dang bugs."

Amy stifled a giggle: "Sonic you're scared of bugs?"

Her question was enough to make him scoff. As if the hero of the story would be scared of a few little bugs; but of course he had to play it off like it was merely his surprise at the bug.

"I didn't see it." He justified himself as he rolled his eyes at her. Suddenly, he remembered his true reason for shock, and glanced at the tree trunk. He regretted his actions in a moment, as he saw the trunk carved with what could never be:

"_Amy + Sonic_ " was carved into the tree, surrounded by a heart. This fond gesture was received well by Sonic, however he knew he couldn't think like that. That wasn't the reason he had brought Amy out here, but could he ever get the true words out of himself?

There were very simple facts regarding this: Sonic loves Amy, Amy loves Sonic. Both loves were just as equally known, and a one sided happiness was attained.

One sided.

Sonic was fed up with everything, and he decided he could not bear to break the smile on her face, however selfish he may be. Another time he could…but who would want to break the heart of a dearly loved one?

As he lost himself in thought, Amy watched his expression shifting, clearly stressed with whatever he had on his mind. Her decision was rash, but by this point she was too far into it to turn back

A kiss was planted onto his worried lips, and just as soon, all of his worries melted into the sky, turning into yet another cloud that would rain some other day. He kissed her back lovingly, and could only say to himself repeatedly to reassure himself:

_It's alright. It'll all be alright. I just need to stay like this with her __forever…_

Sonic and Amy finally separated, both stunned at Amy's choice.

* * *

_My first kiss._

This was the only thought Sonic had as he climbed higher in the tree, reaching the top after a long hike. He knew he was worrying far too much about it, and that his doubts would be silenced, but he couldn't help but concern with it.

Finally reaching the branch, Sonic reached out to climb onto the branch to sit.

He could scarcely feel as if Amy was next to him, firmly gripping his hand, as if saying "I'm here and I won't leave again."

With Amy right beside him, he faced his fear.

Horror struck Sonic's face, and all he could do was let out a cry. It had to be the wrong branch; it was wasn't it? Sonic climbed higher, searching every branch for evidence that his Amy had been there. But his efforts were hopeless, and bared no fruits. Sorrow burned into the pits of his soul, filling him with acid. Sonic made every attempt he could to create a façade to this reality; however it could not be done. This was real, and it tormented him, tortured him and killed him. His cries echoed time and time again, staining the air with remorse. These were the cries of truth, and with it another area once beautiful simply turned to black.

Sonic's tears clumsily rained down from the tree, coating the bark in rain. Everything inside of him went numb; which of course includes his motor skills….

Sonic fell from the tree, hitting the ground with a sickening, unnatural thud. On the floor was a pool of tears and blood, both equally as sad of a sight.

The heart with their names was no longer in existence.


	3. Chapter 2: Just Try a Little

The Girl with the Light in her Eyes

~ Chapter 2 ~

_You need to wake up._

His eyes rapidly tore open, the plaster formed by the dried tears instantly ripped. Clutching his head, Sonic drew back in pain. He could scarcely feel the hand that he was quite sure he moved to touch his throbbing head, and the only feeling in his cranium was pain. Sonic winced, and attempted to recall the situation he was in.

Then he saw it.

His ankle was twisted in such a way that only a cartoon character could bend in such a manner. He attempted to move his once powerful legs, only to find the pain overwhelming. He hissed as the leg fell back to the ground in an instant.

Someone had to find him, or he had to get somewhere. There was no way he could survive in such a desolate location with so many injuries.

And now he had lost the only thing he had left; his ability to run.

"Damn it!" He shouted to no one in particular, wriggling on the hard, dry earth. Sonic was truly a picture of hopelessness; his body broken in every way possible, the pain not at all stopping the suffering he felt in his heart. He hurt through the blood he shed, but the tears he shed hurt even more. Recalling the horror in the tree, more tears brimmed at the dull blue hedgehog's opaque eyes. Would this drive him into insanity?

No. He had to stay sane, even if only for her sake. Sonic came back to his senses, and took a firm grip of the hope he barely retained; they didn't know if she had died yet. She could still be out there, and if she was, he would be alive to see the day.

If she even wanted to see him, that is.

Amy was the type of girl that would never hold a grudge against anyone; especially Sonic. But Sonic couldn't forgive himself for the tragedy that had befallen Amy, the tragedy he should have prevented. Sonic was the hero, the speedster that always came to his princess' rescue.

But not that time he couldn't. And after that, he didn't know how he would ever face her, if he would even get the chance to.

Wriggling on the ground, he continued to attempt to escape the tree. But the further he attempted to escape, the closer the tree seemed to grow in his mind. The world was tormenting him, punishing him for his sins. He located a stump, and hopelessly dragged his limp body onto it. It was like attempting to sit a doll up straight with no support; the doll limps and falls and lays like a corpse.

Sonic's face was grave as he sat flaccid on the stump. His legs dangled, bleeding and broken. His arms lay at his side, tired of life. He was a dreadful sight, and his face begged any that could see him to put him out of his misery.

Although now he felt an entirely new form of pain, and his greatest strength was immobilized, he still felt just as helpless now as then. He still couldn't protect her then; and back then his legs were intact.

_I deserve this._

* * *

"_Sonic"_

His body jolted up from the bed where he lay, leaving him confounded. Gazing around, what he saw was warm furniture, a light pink interior, and a picture of…

Sonic and Amy holding each other tight.

He shook his head; this was impossible. He had to be dreaming; but what if he wasn't? He could remember all of what had just happened: he had just fallen from their tree, their spot. Or at least it was, until fate had it that she was erased.

No. Not fate.

Fate had nothing to do with his carelessness and stupidity.

Fate had nothing to do with his own selfish desires.

He clutched his head in the small bed, hurting himself inside and out. He knew this room to be _her _guest bedroom, but it wasn't possible. He should be bleeding; hell he could even be dead for all he cared. Nothing made sense and nothing came together. The only answer would be he was dreaming, but everything harmonized in just the right way.

He smelled her everywhere, he felt her warmth and his heart was glowing. For the first time in forever, he actually felt himself becoming hopeful; maybe his horrible life had been the dream. Maybe he hadn't lost her just yet.

"You can get me back if you just try a little bit."

Her sweet voice startled him out of his thoughts, and caused his mind to shut down. His impulses were all he could act on now.

In the blink of an eye she was in his arms, and he cradled her as if she were made out of glass. His tears fell profusely as he grasped her warmth and melted into her. Two hearts became one as he kissed her soft lips, filled with the warmth stolen away so long ago. He felt real, but given the situation knew this was far too sacred for someone like him. He didn't deserve to feel her soft, moist lips against his. He didn't deserve to gaze upon the effulgence of her smile. And he most certainly did not deserve to have his heart lit up with such a powerful love as this.

No; that love is what caused all the problems in the first place. If not for him and his love, everything would have been normal. She would still be with him today, though not as he sees her now. But to him, a life without loving her would just transform him into another person; the true blue hero, Sonic the Hedgehog, loves Amy Rose with a burning passion. And that's the plain truth.

"Sonic…"

She mumbled his name again, pushing him a bit away from herself. Amy wasn't dressed how Sonic always remembered her; she had the same figure, hadn't grown one inch, but she wore a longer, white dress instead of her short red one. Upon inspecting further, he noticed the one thing that would be his last glance of her:

She was wearing a halo.

* * *

He awoke once more, this time much more panicked than the last. It was so pitiful; he almost felt the need to laugh at himself. The once bright blue hero was scared of a dream. Pathetic.

But that dream had felt too damn real. He still smelled her, he still felt her, and the image of her figure in her white dress was ingrained into his mind.

Of course though, with that image came the remembrance that Amy had been wearing a halo. He desperately looked to the bleak, broken trees around him for a single trace that she had once been there. But no; this place was none touched by an angel. This begotten place was filled with every sort of horror imaginable to Sonic: it reminded him of his lost rose, and it made him feel as if she was never in existence.

Sonic looked up to the tree where his first kiss happened in his memory, and fell to the base, weeping. His crying was brought to a sudden stop as a memory passed him by: Sonic was bleeding and broken last he remembered. With that he inspected his body, noticing that there wasn't a single scratch on him. He was dumbfounded as he stood on his own two feet once more, no longer the doll sitting lifeless on a stump.

Amy had returned his life to him. That was the only solution that seemed plausible to him at the time; after seeing his love he was able to get back on his own two feet. And this also meant that it wasn't just a dream.

He was more confused than he had ever felt in his life; the only time he had felt like this before was when he first heard of what happened to Amy. He had been confused, forlorn and overall depressed. But he couldn't give up now. Isn't that what Amy had been trying to tell him? She had said those words…what were they? He had heard them so faintly, so slurred that he could only make out part of what she had said.

…_if you try a little…_

His ears perked up at the sounds of her voice faintly replaying. Amy had asked him for something. Amy thought he was useful still. Amy thought she could be saved. But this was all just in a dream…

Dream or no dream; he just had to try.

* * *

_**Hello, I'm going to be continuing this story! I'll most likely be updating very often, so stay tuned! I have a great story planned out, so I can't wait to unravel it. I know this chapter is short, so I'm sorry for that but I wanted to end on this note, and extending would be a waste of your time. **_

_**Check out the one shots I've been writing if you like what you see! I've been a writing maniac lately. Review and favorite, thank you so much!**_

_**Also, I take requests! I'll take any Sonic request. And what I mean by request is that if you want me to write about a certain pairing that you don't see enough, I will! I don't love when people give me specific ideas, so if you just want me to write say a KnucklesxAmy fanfic, I'd do that! PM me for those, because I'd like to keep the reviews to the story. I'll write about a 5,000 word one shot in a day or two though!**_


	4. Chapter 3: Lies and Teary Eyes

The Girl with the Light in her Eyes

~ Chapter 3: Lies and Teary Eyes ~

* * *

On top of a hill sat a rugged shack, weathered and beaten. It was made out of metal, and was filled with dents all around. It was a miracle that it even still stood proudly, and beyond amazing that someone still resides there. The rust was caked on every corner of the house, the roof was beyond antique, and the door didn't even have a lock on it.

Next to the shack was a much bigger building that looked like a miniature airport. There was a runway along the hill, with a dark blue plane at the start of the runway. It had suffered plenty of wear and tear over the years, evident from the cracks in the pavement. It was also clear that the owner had neglected the proper maintenance on the place.

Out of the shack walked the happy resident; he didn't live in a very nice place, but it fit. The small shack consisted of a kitchen with a bedroom below it in a basement he had dug out himself. The place wasn't very homey on the inside; he didn't have too much experience with interior design, and most certainly did not have the money to pay one.

He walked over to the plane and sighed; it had been so long since he had actually taken the plane out for a ride that he worried it might not even work anymore. His own creation fallen to the test of time.

"Tails!"

He was shocked to hear someone calling his name; normally no one had come to visit him, and the only people that rang his doorbell were people trying to get a good look at the sad house. They only came to see the fox who had neglected not only his house, but also his hygiene. They often laughed after he answered the door and walked away, not even taking the time to prank him by running after ringing the bell.

He gazed around him only to find what he saw every day: the same dull green leaves hanging from the rotting trees, the bugs eating away at any bright greens in sight. Nothing good ever lasted long; that was something they all knew.

Finally, he recognized the source of the call, and it left him awestruck. Sonic the Hedgehog had come to visit him. Doing a double take, his eyes ran up and down the cobalt quills. It couldn't possibly be anyone else, but Sonic was definitely the last person he would have expected to visit him.

Not like he'd expect anyone to be visiting him in the first place. After the gang had gotten together and Tails had released his thoughts of Amy's whereabouts, many of his friends now refused to speak to him. Although it had been months since that time, grudges were still held and doubts still filled the ignorant minds of many.

Tails exited his thoughts when Sonic's voice pierced through them. He spoke with a piercing cheeriness: hopeful but demanding. Tails knew that Sonic hadn't just come to visit; he had come to get some form of help with something about Amy. He sighed, knowing this might just end in another argument if he didn't pretend that Amy was alive.

"Tails, you won't believe this!" Sonic had a smile spanning from one side of his muzzle to the other, a rare sight nowadays. Tails let out a sigh while he hoped Sonic wasn't looking; luckily Sonic was too excited to notice the pessimistic attitude of the fox. Tails raised one eyebrow at Sonic, but couldn't remain annoyed at him. Instead Tails found himself smiling a little bit.

"What's up Sonic?" He had mentally decided that no matter what Sonic said, he wouldn't shoot him down. After all, Sonic was his best friend, and they hadn't seen each other in so long because of their conflicting beliefs. Tails may have been in deep thought about everything, but Sonic merely seemed like a child getting himself prepared to open his presents on Christmas morning. He grew more excited that Tails chose to inquire. Sonic's eyes grew wide as he spoke.

"It's her buddy, it's her!" He danced around a little bit, before stopping right in front of the fox. "I can still get her back! You were wrong, she isn't dead! She told me herself! I saw her!" His spastic movements were not only apparent in his body, but also his eyes. His pupils danced from side to side, eagerly awaiting approval from Tails. He was only expecting to hear what he wanted to hear.

"But…how did you see her? Where is she?" Tails was skeptical; Sonic seemed far too deranged right now to be completely trustworthy. He wanted to believe his friend, he really did, but in this situation he just couldn't bring himself to trust him. In fact, he found himself not even being able to look into those crazed eyes as they jumped around. That's all they did; jump from one conclusion to the next, only seeing what they want to see.

"In my dream…she came to me! She had a halo and…"

After hearing the word "dream" Tails began to tune the poor hedgehog out. As he spoke, Sonic smiled and looked all around the room, his eyes only avoiding Tails, fearing what he would respond with. And of course, the only response Tails could possibly fathom was that Sonic was out of his mind. Amy was gone and he'd have to deal; that was the simple truth that his friends continued to deny.

But of course, if Tails said this, Sonic would leave in a fit of anger, and who knows if he'd ever speak to him again? As Sonic began to wrap up his speech, Tails had made up his mind. "So will you help me?" Sonic pleaded, his eyes glazed with his own denial. He was really the definition of pathetic: matted down fur, puffy and red eyes, and trembling hands. His shoes were worn down to the sole. Sighing, Tails revealed his decision.

He mustered a weak smile, and simply mumbled, "Anything for you, Sonic. I believe you." His words lacked confidence, but this flew right past Sonic. Instead, he simply smiled and thanked his friend from the bottom of his heart.

* * *

_What are you even doing?_

A pair of eyes was torn open by its own conscience; the lavender eyes showed apparent exhaustion, as well as remorse. Every day woken haunted by the same nightmare, the same news presenting itself to him over and over again. It continued until it would drive him to insanity.

Removing himself from his sleeping spot out in the sun, Knuckles let out a loud sigh. Being alone on an island often got to him; he used to be a loner, but with everything that has happened over the years, he found himself very lonely. Seldom did anyone show up to visit him anymore and vice versa. He spent his time in solitude, guarding all that he had left: the Master Emerald.

Although not a person, the emerald had a unique effulgence about it that made it seem lifelike. Its presence comforted the forlorn echidna, giving him refuge from his nightmares.

But now, what kept him company was the blue hedgehog that showed up to wake him from these nightmares. All of his fears ended in a second with a swift breeze from the hedgehog running by. Knuckles looked around, confused until he was face-to-face with Sonic. A strange smile was on Sonic's face as he approached Knuckles with no regard for the red echidna's problems.

"Long time no see big guy!" Sonic punched him in the shoulder playfully, but only roused a growl from Knuckles. "You've got some nerve, showing up here with this goofy grin when she…" he paused, not wanting to antagonize Sonic. But strangely, Sonic laughed at him. He laughed until he cried, slapping his knee to express just how funny he found this. Knuckles backed up, a little frightened at this outburst. Normally, he would expect Sonic to be at his neck for even mentioning Amy's disappearance.

In fact, Knuckles had only just had the revelation that Sonic had just shown up for the first time in months. The last time he had seen the hero, Sonic was lashing out at his best friend for speaking what was secretly on the minds of all of their friends.

But no one could accept it; reality was denied by each and every one of them; even Knuckles. The words Tails spoke still caused his heart to feel a pang of grief. He mourned constantly for Amy's disappearance, because despite acting as if she was simply an immature brat to him, Knuckles had a soft spot for Amy. She always had a big heart, and was ready to help anyone, no matter what they had said or done to her once before. She was one of the most compassionate people he had ever met.

Turning his attention from his thoughts and back to the deranged Sonic, he noticed that Sonic was babbling about Amy. Saying her name caused Knuckles to cringe.

"So will you help me out?" Sonic asked him with a goofy smile that made Knuckles want to slug him in the face. He growled and smacked Sonic, to the surprise of both of them. Although he wanted to hit him, he didn't think this desire would be voiced.

"Snap out of it, dammit!" Knuckles growled. Tears brimmed at his eyes as he continued to shout at the poor blue hedgehog, "Get away from me already! I'm sick of this shit Sonic." The tears began to flow as he gurgled out more words. "Just get away, please. I'm so sick of it Sonic…please." His last words were a whisper, and stole the smile right off of Sonic's face. A little bit of reality began to eat at his fake words and smiles, but Sonic replaced these emotions immediately with anger. Denial continued to show in his mouth, his words and his face. He yelled at his friend with all he had, and made an attempt to return the hit.

Instead, Knuckles caught the fist and threw Sonic back. Now on the ground, Sonic merely stared at his friend. He hadn't expected anyone to react to him like this; he had figured everyone else would react the same way about Amy that he did when he had the dream. He thought they'd all do anything to save her.

But what if she couldn't be saved in the first place?

What if he was crazy? Could a dream really prove she was alive? But what if he gave up and she was alive and waiting for him?

Shrugging off his doubts, Sonic the Hedgehog carried his burden from Angel Island to the Mystic Ruins as he returned to Tails, now as forlorn as the red echidna left crying alone on a glowing stone.

The radiance of the emerald was no comparison to the smile she once wore.

* * *

_**Sorry for the long wait guys! Thanks so much for reading, please review if you have any feedback, or if you liked it! I'm sorry for people who gave me requests; I will get them done soon, I promise! I've been busy lately, and I've had some major issues in my life.**_

_**But still, I'm happy! Nothing's ever perfect so don't worry about me!**_

_**Thank you so much for reading and reviewing everyone, I hope you like this chapter! I know it's slow going at the moment, but I promise the plot will begin to speed up! Stick around and follow this story, I promise it will be awesome! Got the whole thing planned out!**_

_**Keep reviewing! ;)**_


	5. Chapter 4: 247 Hell

~The Girl with the Light in her Eyes~

Chapter 4: 24/7 Hell

* * *

Whimpering, tossing and turning; those were common noises for one stuck in a nightmare to make. They would grow in sound to an agonizing level, until finally some bystander couldn't bear to hear anymore suffering.

But what if there had been no bystander?

Trapped in nightmares, no escape from horror; that's what would happen. Then he woke up, and the nightmare started all over again. For Sonic, reality without her was his nightmare, and his dreams when he had to relive the pain of seeing her alive and having her taken from him killed him even more.

He tried to wake up and tell himself 'it was only a dream', but that didn't change the fact that Amy was not next to him. Normally this would go unnoticed, because Sonic lived wherever he pleased as of late, and he lived alone.

But now the tides turned as he attempted to drift off at his best friend's house; he slept on the roof of the sad little shack, his ears drooping and his quills dull. The pain of Knuckles' words to him still stung like a fresh wound. Sonic wouldn't give in this easily though; he couldn't. It had been the first time in a long time that he finally had some of the weight eased off of his shoulders, and he couldn't bear to carry the load anymore.

His mind had been flying free, his legs moving without any restraints; they had found their purpose to move again. Amy could possibly be alive, and the word 'possibly' is all he needed.

But then Knuckles….

It was as if Sonic's guilt could be embodied as a stack of weights. Well for sure, Knuckles put the pile right back onto his shoulders with his icy words. They held an overwhelming spice, yet also bitter. He was angry, however part of Knuckles was simply letting out steam about Amy. Everyone had loved Amy; she was the girl who kept everyone smiling, even when things looked bleak.

Sonic sighed deeply; it was definitely time he got to sleep. His eyes begged for the salvation of rest, yet his mind ached each and every time he fell to its hypnotism. With every moment he slept, the more apprehensive he grew. Visions of her haunted him, and peace would never come to him in his sleep. He felt like Macbeth; the blood that he blamed himself for spilling kept him from his peace, and it haunted him in every which way.

Shaking his head to get the thoughts to leave him, Sonic stretched his arms and folded them behind his head. His eyelids were shut tightly, as he forced himself into a slumber

* * *

_It was everywhere. _

_Just like that day, all he could feel all over his body was blood. It was splashed in every which direction, and coated his quills. He trembled as he fell to the ground. There was no way it could have been her blood though; it was a lie, wasn't it?_

_It had to have been, right? Even in a dream, everything was exactly as Sonic's memory had seen it. Nothing about that day wasn't memorable; each and every detail etched into his head, including the words he spoke to her._

_The last words._

"_Why?"_

_His ears perked up, and he stared off into the bottomless abyss his body was now falling down. He had no control of his limbs, and they flopped around everywhere. His tears floated freely about the void, and the voice continued to ask him, over and over._

"_Why?"_

_It was like a drum beat, monotonously smacking him in the face. It beat and beat, but would never end. He realized that the voice belonged to his angel, and it began cutting through his skin. His blood melded with his tears throughout the black abyss, nothing to stop the flow._

"_Why?" _

_With each demanding question, a new gash opened on his skin. Soon enough, all of his skin was gone, leaving Sonic a skeleton, her voice still crying out to him._

"OOF!" Sonic cried out, first hearing a loud thump, then feeling the pain in his back. "Ouch…" he rubbed his back, checking to make sure that his quills didn't snap. Luckily for him, he seemed to be fully intact. It was still the middle of the night, but how had he fallen out of his place? There was a flat place on the roof, and….

Oh.

Standing on the top of the roof was a dark figure, watching Sonic with gleaming red eyes. When it took Sonic a moment to respond to his presence, he narrowed his eyes. "It's not very manly to cry like a little girl in your sleep, hedgehog." Shadow jumped down from the roof, and landed neatly in front of Sonic.

Sonic growled, "And what does the 'ultimate life form' care?" Sonic wiped at his face to get rid of the excess tears that streamed down his face. Shadow was the one person who could rile Sonic up at any time; even after a sad dream about her.

"Your blubbering is making it hard for me to sleep," Shadow smirked while pointing down the hill. "I have a small home down over there, and I like to sleep outside. It's just my thing, and I happened to hear a little girl start crying," Shadow chuckled, while Sonic grew even further annoyed. "It just happened that the damsel in distress was none other than Sonic the Hedgehog."

It wasn't that Shadow hated Sonic; more that his attitude towards everything angered him more than anyone else. His lack of caution and that stupid smile; they pissed him off more than anything. He'd rather spend a day with Eggman; at least no one likes him. Somehow though,_ everyone_ loves Sonic.

"In the end," Shadow got closer to Sonic, putting his face right into Sonic's, "you really are just a _fucking faker_." Unsure of where Shadow was coming from with this, his anger subsided a slight bit to let in some confusion.

Before he could speak, Shadow continued: "You cry for her. Amy. Yet you know what happened…" Shadow had to dodge the punch Sonic sent at him the second Amy's name was mentioned. He landed cleanly on his feet, and Sonic's punch was nowhere near as quick and skillful as it used to be.

"You're rusty." Is all he said as he avoided blow after blow, each as clumsy and weak as the last. Sonic growled at Shadow; just what was he talking about…? "Sonic."

Sonic's ears perked up, and he stopped his attacks. With a shout of: "Chaos control!" Shadow was back on the roof of the fox's house. He looked down at the blue hedgehog, who was now trying to catch his breath.

"I'll say it again; you know what happened," his last words were almost a whisper, and Shadow too was expressing some anger now. Sonic merely stared up at him, waiting for Shadow to continue with what he meant. And he most certainly wasn't finished.

"The both of us know that Amy was one of the best of us." Shadow looked down with a tinge of sadness in his eyes. "Despite her crazy antics and obsession with you, that girl was always helping people…sometimes a little too much." Shadow chuckled, but he quickly ceased and wore the same scowl as always, yet his eyes had a further intensity to them. They held a secret, one that he had been hiding for quite some time.

"I don't get you," Sonic hissed out. "Just what the hell are you trying to gain by coming to me now and talking about Amy?!" The emerald green eyes made apparent to Shadow that he wasn't in the mood for guessing games as he spat out: "Besides, I don't have much time to deal with your crap. I can still find Amy, I know it!"

This time, Shadow merely laughed: Sonic was in such a deep case of denial that it truly was unbelievable. The anger subsided slightly, and now the red crystals merely showcased pity; and that pissed Sonic off more than anything. "You don't think we can find her?!" Sonic jumped onto the roof, and pushed Shadow slightly, "You're just going to give up on her?!"

"I gave up when her blood stained the ground."

Sonic froze dead in his tracks. His breathing stopped, his heart skipped a beat. "No," he whispered gingerly, and buried his face into the torn gloves on his hands. As he stared at the hands, all he could see was blood; they dirtied him inside and out, yet as much as he tried to wash his hands, the blood would never wash away.

"Don't deny the truth," Shadow murmured, almost sounding sorry. The blue hedgehog trembled, still staring at his white gloves. Shadow raised an eyebrow at him.

"That…that wasn't her blood…Eggman was lying!" Sonic shouted at Shadow, and put a finger right into Shadow's face. "You're just trying to trick me, just like him!"

Shaking his head, Shadow growled at the idiotic hedgehog. He just couldn't accept his own mistake. "You called me the fake," his voice rumbled from deep within his throat, and the tears escaped his harsh eyes.

"But at least I could admit Maria was _dead_!" His words shocked Sonic, giving Shadow the opportunity to deliver a swift punch in the gut to Sonic. "At least I could say that I'm fucking real," Shadow paused, "and that you're the biggest fucking fake I've ever seen. You _killed _her! What right does an ass like _you _have to cry, when it's your own damn fault!"

A barrage of blows was accepted by the speechless Sonic. He was angry, but confused. The only words pulsing through his heads were: '_I didn't kill her_.'

* * *

The shouts grew louder, and by this time it was only natural that Tails would have woken up. He walked outside, and searched for the source of the sound. The young fox was confused until Sonic went tumbling down the roof. There had been more shouting, but Tails had been too tired to decipher the words; instead he ran to Sonic, and looked up only to see the night sky.

"Tails…Shadow…" Sonic mumbled, a bit beaten up from his fight with Shadow. Luckily for Sonic, Shadow hadn't intended to hurt Sonic, he merely wanted to rough him up. While he didn't want to wound him physically, he did want to beat the crap out of Sonic's mind, and force him to stop running.

Shadow was long gone by then, and Sonic was still hearing his words over and over again. The memories of that day would not leave his head, and Sonic felt the tears well up in his throat. No words escaped his lips, but vomit certainly did. The bile escaped and spread all over the ground, with Tails standing over him with wide eyes. "Sonic…"

He tried to speak to Tails, but couldn't. Instead he did the only thing he could do at this moment:

Sonic cried. And he cried hard.

* * *

**Here's where the story will begin to really reveal the plot; soon you'll learn the story of why Shadow said what he did to Sonic! But ouch, reality dose for Sonic.**

**If you want to ask me for a request, feel free! I have one to work on at the moment, but I can do two at a time :3**

**Thanks for reading, please review!**

**Also, I updated this for a couple of sentences where they sounded awkward. D: I need to stop writing while not paying attention to my own words.**


	6. Chapter 5: Effulgence

~The Girl with the Light in her Eyes~

Chapter 5: Effulgence

* * *

A body quivered beneath a large blanket, not budging an inch. The quilt was stained with a multitude of tears, and the body underneath was soaked with the same fluid. There was a certain kind of sorrow about seeing anyone alone, yet somehow it could also be addressed with apathy.

Because while one might feel pity towards the creature, anyone else could just as easily feel annoyed; why couldn't they get over it? Crying was pathetic; people cannot dwell on the past forever. And that's exactly how he felt: annoyed. A dark figure watched the sniveling hedgehog through the window, and merely grunted in agitation at his girlish tears.

"He'll never stand a chance if that's all he does," Shadow mumbled. He shook his head, and with a snap of his fingers, the black hedgehog was gone. The sight of this fake hero rolling about his own fluids was a sight for sore eyes. Shadow had never been so pathetic when Maria had left him.

Peering through the door meanwhile, was an entirely different perspective. As the once bright blue hedgehog continued to shed his tears, the entire room lost its light. In from the window came darkness, the floor turned from a bright white color to a dull gray, and the TV only showed stories of horror and death. The gruesome news stories were consoling compared to the words pounding through Sonic's head.

But while the fox cried for his best friend, and the dark hedgehog was driven away by his disgust at the display of raw feelings, what was Sonic himself feeling?

His feelings were not fathomable by either of the parties; he felt the utmost pain surge through every artery in his body, and yet while it delivered to each part of the body, there was still enough hurting in his blood that it made it back to the heart through his veins. And so, Sonic's body took the only course of action it could: it cried, it ached, and it hurt.

* * *

Days passed, and the blue hedgehog didn't seem to be getting much better. Tails could only wonder what had happened that night to set Sonic straight; he hadn't mentioned Amy once in all of his crying. Her name must pack too large of a punch for him to think about right now.

Instead of asking him, Tails decided to be the best friend that he could. After watching his hero reduced to a shivering, crying mess, he decided he'd rather see him faking than like this.

But deep inside, he still knew that Sonic needed this. It was the only way he could ever get over Amy.

Realizing his need to live, Sonic exited the room after he finally gave in to his growling stomach. His legs were sluggish and hesitant as they left the room, the door creaking with surprise that it had been opened. The walls seemed to be agape at the sight of the hedgehog, and the furniture twisted and turned; it was a miracle that his will to live was still apparent.

Tails was ecstatic to see Sonic moving, as the only time in the past few days he had seen him move was when he shook as he sobbed. Immediately, Tails was at his side beckoning to his every whim.

"How about a chili dog?" Tails suggested, but to his shock, Sonic merely shook his head. He lifted his head slightly, and made an effort to speak.

"If you could just get me some bread…nothing on it." His voice was coarse and worn from his sobbing and whimpering. Sonic looked down at the floor, and never once looked Tails in the eyes. His every movement was careful, as if someone had a sniper rifle pointed at him from the window, and the slightest movement could lead to his demise.

The bread was produced very swiftly for Sonic, and he managed a small smile of appreciation. Sonic knew that Tails needed a bit of recognition. "Thanks buddy…for this, and for everything." Sonic nodded at Tails, and took a small bite of the bread. Even every time he chewed, it was all slow and cautious; nothing like Sonic.

If Sonic had been himself, he would have woofed it down as quickly as possible, with crumbs flying everywhere. He never had any care for how much of the food actually went _into _his mouth, and this usually agitated Tails. Normally he'd be yelling at Sonic for being so reckless and making such a mess, but now he wished he could be having that argument with the sad, blue hedgehog. He was a shadow of his former self.

"Listen…" Tails started, causing Sonic to glance up at him. "I think…it might help you if you talked about it. What did Shadow say to-"

"_Shut up," _Sonic spat out, simply glaring at Tails. "There's nothing to tell you, and nothing you'd understand," he growled out to the young fox, and grimaced at him. Sonic was clearly bothered that Tails was figuring him out; but what he didn't realize was just how transparent he was acting.

Throwing the rest of his bread on the floor, Sonic stormed out of the room. His lack of trust, however, ended up angering Tails too. "Some friend he is," Tails grumbled. If Sonic was supposed to be his best friend, why couldn't he have just told him what happened? Clearly, Shadow knew something that he didn't, and Tails was determined to get the information out of Sonic.

"So you want to know?" Shadow appeared in the doorway and approached Tails. He chuckled, and put one hand down on the small table that Tails ate on. "I don't know if you'd really like to know, Prower."

Tails was uneasy as he looked Shadow over, making sure that he didn't appear to be trying to hurt anybody. There appeared to be no weapons on him, but Tails still wasn't convinced. He raised one eyebrow, suspicious of the offering made by the black hedgehog who normally was very kept to himself. "What makes me think you'd be telling me the truth?"

"Simple," Shadow sat down at one of the two chairs, and picked up the bread Sonic had formerly thrown on the floor. "because I can't bear to see an innocent girl dead, with no one telling her story."

* * *

After the incident with Tails, Sonic had angrily stormed out of the house, and walked up and down the Mystic Ruins. It was a gorgeous sunny day, the plants were practically singing from the perfect temperature. Not too hot, but not too cold, with only a slight bit of humidity. The trees showcased all sorts of emerald greens, brilliant and bright, yet all Sonic could see was gray.

The sky was gray, the trees with their leaves, and all of the tropical flowers. Nothing had the slightest bit of color to him, it had all been stolen from him once more with the words that had been thrown in his direction.

"That bastard," Sonic growled, punching a tree with his gloved fist. The bark shattered slightly onto his hand, leaving him bleeding and his gloves dyed red. Ignoring the pain, Sonic trudged on.

Eventually he came to a place that was still stained by the same putrid gray that followed the pitiful hedgehog every way he may go; it was a lake. Surrounded by animals of all sorts and flowers, it was a bountiful wonderland of nature, and was most certainly one of the nicer places in the area.

As he approached the lake, the shades of gray merely grew deeper and deeper. Sonic was angry; how dare such a beautiful place be defiled by the gray. It invaded, stepping over every boundary possible to infect his most beloved and sacred places.

He approached Never Lake, and found himself staring into the hundreds of shades of gray that plagued the body of water. They enticed him to swim, and seduced his mind into believing in each and every droplet of water.

Slowly but surely, he began to step into the lake, each step bringing him farther in. They sealed his fate, and labeled him as never having a means of return. After a couple of minutes, his legs were consumed by gray, the brilliant blue hue that was once his fading into the lake. Bliss encompassed his mind; '_step further,'_ it told him.

And so he did. He continued to submerge his body into the filth, and even allowed it to take over his mind. "Gray isn't so dull," Sonic whispered to himself, stoned on the thought of death. He felt better than he had felt in years; buzzing went through his ears, and his eyelids shut. Sonic's entire body was now in the lake, and the pressure of the water surrounded his head, pushing down his quills.

'_This is bliss,' _is all that he could think. '_This is all I deserve anymore.'_

Guilt flowed freely from his body as he released all of his inhibitions; an eye for an eye. No longer would he be running free while she could not, and so he would be in the same place as her. While the weight on his shoulders lifted, and he felt himself relax, the water did not stop its pull. He was dragged under the lake, as if some spirit had emerged at the surface, and chose Sonic as its victim. He accepted the water as it dragged him under, until his blue quills were nowhere to be seen.

The oxygen escaped his body, and while most would now panic and swim to the surface, a sense of euphoria overcame Sonic. His lips curled into a smile as his eyelids shut, and his thoughts disappeared.

* * *

"_Not yet."_

* * *

"Amy…" he whispered, her voice subtle in his mind. Those words had been her, yet she was nowhere in sight. "Wait a minute," Sonic mumbled, checking his surroundings.

He was on the bank of the lake, his gloves looking like the day he bought them, and sure enough the broken flesh underneath his glove was also unscaved. Emotion once more flooded his head as he looked up to the sky.

"_FUCK_"

It was really all he could say at this point; in trying to relieve himself of guilt, and kill the life that tortured him so much, his efforts were reversed. In an instant the elation was taken right out from under him, and he was once more on the bank of this damned lake.

But just as soon as the euphoria was stolen away, so was his anger. Instead, it turned to shock as Sonic's eyes could not remove themselves from a certain sight.

Sitting on the bank in front of him was a dainty girl with pink quills. They were swishing from side to side in the wind, and while they were pale, her white dress made the pink look even brighter.

His eyes widened as he watched her turn around, every single articulate muscle movement she made, he noticed. Each and every bone that turned to show life was apparent to him, and he lost his balance. Falling on his knees, he could only stop and stare.

She got up from her sitting position, and turned to look at him. Seeing that he was alright, her lips curled into a smile. She began to walk towards him, her feet bare. The white dress reached the ground and dragged on the ground while she walked, yet the dirt could never stain it. Each step she took was another perfect movement; it was as if she had taken a ruler and measured out a specific length for her strides.

Finally, the girl reached him and her eyes lit up with the sun. They pierced through his body, and took away all of the negative thoughts he was filled to the brim with before. Instead they overtook him with overbearing effulgence that only her eyes could fill him with. The emerald green eyes filled the world with life, and the sun finally began to shine through the clouds. The trees were finally green once more, the sky again blue, and the flowers pink. The light sparkled off of her eyes and into his soul.

"_Amy_."

* * *

**You'll see everything start to come together soon…along with unexplained things from the beginning of this story. :3**

**For now, please enjoy that I actually had enough inspiration to write this chapter so soon after the other. X3 Thank you for the reviews, I read them all, and they all make me smile! Please review if you like the story, or if you don't like it! But if you don't like it please don't just leave "wow dis sux sonamy sux" because that's just silly. If you have critiques, it's always appreciated. :3**

**Send me a request if you've got one! 3 Thanks for reading!**

**By the way; my two favorite words are 'euphoria' and 'effulgence' so…**


	7. Chapter 6: Unbearable Truths

~The Girl with the Light in her Eyes~

Chapter 6: Unbearable Truths

* * *

"You're lying," Tails grunted, shoving Shadow aside. He quickly stomped over to the small table, and put his head down on it. "Why am I even listening to this?" Tails put his hands over his ears, and began to tremble.

"Believe what you want, but it's the truth," Shadow lowered his head slightly, moving next to Tails. The poor fox's head was jammed into the table, and the tears flowed faster than all of the words he wanted to say. Even though he had already predicted the overall outcome himself, to hear the means to get that outcome…

He was sickened. The sadness was there, but he had already mourned for her; this was a matter of accepting Shadow's story as truth.

"Sonic…he wouldn't…" Tails' words were almost a whisper as they barely escaped his lips, shut tightly together as the tears flowed through them. Opening them for even a moment allowed him to taste his own salty tears. He smashed a fist onto the table, and Shadow put a hand onto his back.

"I had to watch it," Shadow mumbled, trying to contain the sadness within him, but it escaped into his voice. The scene was like one out of a dramatic movie, where one stood strong, looking down, and the other bawled uncontrollably.

"Are…are you positive about this?" After a long time, Tails spoke once more, wiping the tears and mucus from his face. His eyes shimmered as the fox looked up to Shadow, looking more juvenile than ever before. Usually Tails emitted a certain maturity that most his age lacked, but now he was nothing more than a child.

It pained him to do so, but Shadow plagued him with a nod. In attempts to regain his composure, the fox stood up next to Shadow and glared at him fiercely for a moment. His attempts to gain that mature aura about him failed however, as the façade subsided quickly, and the tears brimmed at the corners of his bright blue eyes.

"I…I kind of don't blame Sonic for being in denial now…" His voice was a coarse whisper, yet the small whisper carried a large impact with Shadow. He slammed his fist hard onto the table, leaving a massive dent in the metal surface.

"What the hell Shadow?!" Tails growled as he quickly pushed Shadow from his only table. "I don't have the money for new furniture…"

"We're not changing the subject here!" Shadow grunted as he punched the table once more. "To hell with it! You think it's alright for Sonic to get away with murder?!" The ruby eyes pierced through the armor Tails built up around himself to defend his argument, and he was left speechless. As he stammered to find the words, Shadow merely laughed and shook his head.

"This is why I don't like you guys," Shadow spat at the broken fox. "You can't ever be honest with yourselves. Just stop defending him and see it for what it is." Chucking at his stupidity, Shadow began to approach the door.

"Call me when you get your head out of your ass."

_THUD_

He slammed the door as he took his leave, the now childlike fox left wide eyed, not even comprehending the weight of the conversation previously held in the room.

But one thing was clear to him now; Sonic was definitely hiding something from him, and if this story was true, then someone had a lot of explaining to do. New found inspiration hit Tails as he slammed the door to his shack, marching off to find his friend.

* * *

"_Amy…"_

Her name floated right off of his lips, the sight of her making him drunk with emotions. He couldn't even approach her; his legs had turned to jelly upon the sight of her. The pink quills waved in the wind gloriously, each like a single rose petal.

She stepped towards him so that he didn't have to, and was surprised when Sonic wrapped his arms around her. Immediately, he began to cry so profusely that Amy herself had to retain her composure. Instead she merely returned the embrace, allowing his tears to slide down her back.

Sonic's mind was a jumbled mess of everything right now, but he couldn't even bear to remember anything except for the fact that here was Amy, hugging him, right in front of him. He cried for the present and the future in knowing that Amy would now be a part of both of these crucial parts of his life.

"Amy…_Amy…"_

Her name was all that he could muster in between sobs as he began to hold her tighter and tighter. The grip he had on her was enough to subdue a wild bear, but it wasn't enough to convince Sonic that Amy wouldn't be leaving his arms.

"Sonic…please…" she whispered, sounding more apologetic than annoyed. Upon hearing her voice, he immediately backed up; instead of holding her, he rested his hands on her face, caressing each and every part of it.

"That voice…oh that beautiful voice," his breath was staggered as he once more regained his ability to speak. Each of his five senses was filled with Amy; he felt Amy, he heard Amy, he smelled Amy, he saw Amy, and finally, Sonic leaned in to Amy, to deliver a much needed kiss.

But before he could, Amy guiltily backed away. Not expecting this, Sonic ended up falling flat on his face on the ground.

"Why?" he whispered, her lips his only target. Overwhelmed by her sweet smell of strawberries, he approached her only to be rejected again. The tears began to well up in her eyes as she grabbed his hand.

"If you do that…I won't be able to tell you everything," Amy choked out through her tears. She squeezed Sonic's hand tightly, and began to weep. For her, the sight of Sonic being alright after his last stunt relieved her, yet it also filled her with melancholy.

Amy hated seeing Sonic sad; but now she knew that because of her, he would be.

Regaining some of his senses, the now confused Sonic looked Amy over; it was odd, she was wearing the same attire she was in that dream from the other day. Her hand squeezed his tighter as she cried, and Sonic did all that he could to console her.

"Oh Amy, I'm just so glad to see you're o-"

"Don't say another word," she whispered. "Please."

Shutting his mouth, Sonic picked up the fragile girl, and began to rock her back and forth in his arms. Amy bawled uncontrollably as the one she loved kept in his own tears. This continued for quite some time, until Amy had finally cried all that she needed to, her eyes now dry.

"Looks like I'm out of tears," she giggled, clearly trying to lighten the mood. Smiling, Sonic ran one of his hands through her hair. It was the same as he had always remembered it; not a thing about her was different from the Amy he loved.

"Well I've been out of luck…until you came along." Sonic smiled sheepishly, and kissed Amy on the forehead. She looked down, and Sonic noticed that her eyes weren't sparkling anymore; they looked tired.

"I…I can't stay."

"W…what?"

Amy laid her soft head onto his shoulder, and wrapped her arms around him. "I'm here for a reason Sonic. I'm here for you." Affection filled her voice as she squeezed him tighter, but Sonic's thoughts ceased the moment she said she had to leave. Questions filled his head as he tried over and over again to make heads or tails of the situation.

"Sometimes…" she started off, her voice searching for the right words to say. "Tragedies happen. But we need to learn to accept those tragedies." Amy released her grip on Sonic and picked herself up onto her feet.

"I know it even seems impossible to accept some of the things we've done but…it was an accident Sonic. I understood that."

Her words were an icy cold slap to his face, and it stung more and more as he realized their true meaning. But just as quickly as this happened, a gear inside of Sonic snapped in half. His racing thoughts were ceased as part of his brain shut off.

Chuckling, a goofy grin spread across Sonic's face. "Don't be silly Ames!" He gave her a thumbs up and smirked at her, something Sonic hadn't done in quite the long time. "You're here now, so let's get you back to Tails' place! I'm sure Cream would love to see you and know that you're o-"

"I'm not okay."

With a sharp tongue, she blatantly said the words loudly. Her tone was very serious, yet it also lacked emotion. Amy knew she had to be firm with Sonic about this until he could accept what she was attempting to get through to him with.

"I don't know what you mean Amy, I mean you're right here in front of me, you don't look very hurt…"

Losing confidence with his own words, the volume slowly faded from his voice, and Sonic's vocal chords refused to lie for him any longer. Instead he was stuck being quiet, forced to hear the truth.

"This may hurt you Sonic…but you have to watch this again, and you have to accept it…do it for me." Amy breathed out the words, remorse filling her up. She sighed as she approached Sonic and put both of her hands onto his head, forcing the memory to resurface and play once more.

* * *

"Oh Sonic!"Amy cried out while she put her arms around him and squeezed him tightly. The few tears that had rolled down her cheeks had dried up onto his shoulder. Amy nuzzled into the crook of Sonic's neck, and kissed him.

Never much of a romantic, Sonic moved out of her grasp once she released him and plopped himself onto the couch where he usually relaxed. He managed a weak smile and a thumbs up at Amy, but quickly dropped the charade. The truth was that Sonic was just exhausted; he didn't want to speak to her or anybody for the rest of the night.

It had been the third time in the past week that Sonic had to run to her rescue, and it was beginning to get old. He flipped through the channels of the TV, waiting to find a program that would keep him entertained for a while. Stopping at the news for a moment, the story being currently shown was of his valiant rescue of Amy. He smirked noticing how good he looked on camera.

Amy giggled as she sat down on the couch next to Sonic, and reached out for his hand. Taking a hold of his gloved hand, she gave it a squeeze.

"I guess we're on the news again tonight," she mumbled sarcastically, but something in Sonic had snapped.

Maybe it was because he was tired, who knows? But all Sonic knew now was that it was the worst decision of his life.

"No thanks to you," he grunted as he continued flipping through the channels. Sonic ripped his hand from Amy's and jumped up from the couch. "All I need to do when I'm tired is come to _your _rescue, pretty much every freaking day."

Being the stubborn girl she was, Amy refused to accept that kind of treatment from her boyfriend. "Well excuse me," she grumbled, "but I never asked to be kidnapped."

Furious, Sonic glared at her, and raised his voice to a point where he was just about yelling. "Well whose _bright _idea was it to announce our relationship to the entire _fucking _world?" Sonic shut off the television and sat down on a chair opposite the room from Amy. She, however, had other plans, and moved towards him once more.

"Well _who _said it was okay to do so?" Amy growled, getting in Sonic's face. It had always bothered her that Sonic tried to avoid eye contact when he fought with you. Her normally loving eyes were filled with anger, and Sonic began to feel guilty. The stubborn hedgehog in him refused to lose this fight though.

"Besides," Amy continued when Sonic hadn't replied to her last argument, "I thought saving me was something that you did because you love me."

Sonic laughed at her nastily, and glared right into her eyes. "It's nothing more than an obligation," he snorted. Immediately in his mind he took back his words, yet something kept the fire kindled. Maybe it was because he hadn't gotten any sleep and it was late at night, or because Amy fought with him after he rescued her. Looking back now though, he realized how much he had deserved that slap in the face as she left the home.

The next morning, Sonic woke up undisturbed, yet he felt uneasy.

"Amy?" he called out, searching to see if she was around the house. '_Probably at Cream's,' _his thoughts convinced him.

After cooking himself an egg and some toast, Sonic's stomach was flip flopping as he ate. Quickly he finished his meal, and set out for his morning run. That morning was a blur to him now, but seeing it perfectly as he did, Sonic felt like the world was collapsing on him. He watched that fateful day that would change his life forever; he wished so desperately to change those two days.

Normally running would alleviate some of his stress; somehow, Sonic ended up getting himself more and more worked up over Amy. Ergo he ended up at Cream's doorstep, knocking on the light brown door.

Immediately the door swung open to reveal Cream and her chao Cheese. A radiant smile formed on her face when she saw just who her guest was.

"Mr. Sonic!" The smile was contagious as it spread onto Sonic's face as well. "Congratulations on saving Amy from Dr. Eggman again last night!" As instantaneously as Sonic gained her smile, he lost it. If Amy had been here, she would have told Cream about the fight, and Cream wouldn't be so happy to see him.

Frowning, Sonic mumbled a weak "thanks," before he told her that he had to leave.

He searched everywhere he could for his lover, yet not a trace of her could be found. Each and every one of his friends shrugged and was unable to say where the pink hedgehog went off to; no one had seen her the night she ran off.

"Where could she be?" Sonic wondered aloud as he sped through a nearby clearing. "This is Amy…she wouldn't have gone far. Usually she doesn't stay mad at me for too long."

It was then that it had hit him: Eggman. As much as he hated to come to that realization, Sonic was filled with a sense of panic; although the doctor had never done anything to her that had severely injured her, Sonic had given him plenty of time to do whatever he pleased.

In an instant Sonic was on his way to an island where he knew Eggman was waiting for him; it had been too soon for the overweight buffoon to have switched to another location. Once more Sonic was off to rescue his princess.

"I can't believe I told her I only save her because I'm obliged to," Sonic scolded himself. "Idiot. I had better make sure I apologize…"

Finally, Sonic entered the base. It was, comically enough, shaped like a giant egg, with Eggman's head designed into the middle. Laughing at the corny design, Sonic found himself more than a bit annoyed. In order to get to the island, he had suffered a boat ride from a kind citizen, whom he had given the coordinates to, and boat rides made Sonic _sick_; if it had to do with water, this hedgehog wanted nothing to do with it.

Running into the base, Sonic blasted through the security of the base with his usual supersonic speed. All of the robots were the same scrap metal that he was always able to easily destroy, and so Sonic quickly reached the core of the base, where he found a giant stage.

Not only was this one of Eggman's idiotic designs, but it was also the stage that Sonic dreaded seeing. It was the place where his life had been torn to shreds.

As he continued to witness the memory, Amy noticed him beginning to shake. She grabbed his hand to give him some well needed support as he was made to witness the horror.

"Well well, if it isn't Sonic the Hedgehog!" Eggman sounded excited as he began to cackle maniacally. "Are you ready to get squished, blue rodent?

"Bring it, Eggbutt!" Although annoyed, a challenge always sent an adrenaline burst down Sonic's spine. It thrilled him to know he would once more be the hero thwarting Eggman's crappy plans to take over the world.

Before his eyes a single robot walked unsteadily on the stage. Eggman smirked, and began to laugh once more. "I think this one will surprise you, hedgehog!" The evil grin spanning the doctor's face only increased in length as Sonic began laughing at the pathetic robot.

It hobbled towards him like a toddler learning to walk, and it didn't appear to have any form of weapon. But Sonic's laughs quickly came to a halt as he began to see that the doctor was completely serious. Not only did Sonic have to endure a horrible trip here, but he didn't even get to relieve any stress in the process. The whole day was merely a bother.

"Cut the crap and hand over Amy," Sonic grunted at the doctor, staring up onto the platform where Eggman sat. "O hohoho!" Eggman cackled, "If you want the girl, you'll have to defeat my robot!" It was in that instant that Sonic should have realized something was up; he should have noticed that this was simply way too suspicious to fall for.

Instead, Sonic smirked; he'd get all of his stress out on this piece of shit machine. Backing up to the very far edge of the stage, Sonic began to charge up a spin dash attack, but stopped for a moment as in front of him appeared a black and red hedgehog.

"Enough!" he shouted, trying to pause the reckless blue hedgehog. Instead, Sonic glared at Shadow and once more began to charge up his spin dash. "Don't take away this one enemy for me Shadow," he chuckled, "I need this."

"But that's-"

It was too late. Sonic charged at the robot in his spiky sphere form, and quickly made contact with the middle of the robot's body. He clenched his fists and shut his eyes so that the metal debris wouldn't stun him by lodging itself in his eye, and he punched the innards of the robot repeatidly. Oil leaked out onto his hands and his body as he continued to pummel the robot to bits.

Stress free and ready to grab his girl, Sonic opened his eyes.

It was definitely the wrong decision to open his eyes; to his horror, Sonic discovered the worst thing he would ever lay his eyes on.

The stage was now covered in a sickening red substance that was spread all over the ground. Thinking at first that Eggman had filled the robot with paint, Sonic looked up to where the doctor had been; for some reason, his chair was now empty.

This time, Sonic chose to gaze down onto his hands, and was suddenly filled with every kind of horror possible; this was no paint.

It was blood.

Trembling, Sonic turned to what was left at the robot; it was a sticky, bloody mess. He had pulverized it so much that nothing was recognizable, inside or outside. Immediately Sonic began to panic, and searched through the metallic body of the robot. He felt his face turning paler as he notized that only two wires seemed to be located within the robot: and they connected to the feet.

"So what was…" he spoke aloud, now hyperventilating. The pieces were beginning to click in his head, but not fully until he heard Shadow's deep cries.

Turning around in horror to the black hedgehog, his pupils dialated in horror: Shadow was covered from head to toe in blood. And to Shadow, it was even more horrifying that the blood wasn't his own; and he knew whose it was.

"You _moron!" _he screamed in anger, agony, fear, and with every bone in his body that was gained function once more since his body was frozen in shock. "You _fucking moron!" _Shadow scurried over to the blue hedgehog, now frozen in his tracks.

"Where's…" he started, but was interrupted by a punch to the face. Shadow breathed heavily, and began to sob in short, uncontrolled bursts. Tears from Shadow were quite the rare sight; Sonic had definitely never witnessed this.

"She's _dead!" _

"What?" Sonic chuckled, getting up and shaking his head. "Don't be ridiculous Shadow…" Sonic's attempts to sound confident were quite pitiful; his voice wavered as he attempted to reason with the distraught hedgehog. He tried to deny the situation by acting like his normal self, but failed to convince Shadow. "This is Eggman we're talking about Shadow! He wouldn't kill-"

"_You did!" _Shadow screamed out as loudly as he could, his throat burning from the pure acid he put into those words. "Eggman…he said he put Amy inside…" Shadow choked out.

With just a few words Sonic was down onto the floor, fully aware of what had happened. Trembling and choking, Sonic began to scream out horrible cries; one would think he was dying himself. Each and every breath he took continuously filled him up not with oxygen; but grief and pure sorrow. Tears didn't come to his eyes; instead he continued to produce those horrifying sounds, and they were filled with all of the agony in the world.

The weight of his cries shook her heart as she witnessed her own murder in his memories, and Amy Rose could do nothing to cease the cries of her love; for she was not supposed to be by his side this very moment, and could do nothing to end his grief. All that she could do now was stroke his head softly while the memory broke him, and whisper those words in his ear once more:

"_If you try hard enough…if you want it bad enough…"_

* * *

**Look at me, two chapters in one day! :3**

**A bit longer than usual, but this is more like a normal chapter length; my others are too short.**

**SO I BET YOU'RE WONDERING HOW AMY'S HERE RIGHT NOW. Ehehe, you'll have to wait until next chapter for that! I hope you like the story, I might rewrite this chapter later; I found myself reusing a lot of diction and I was like punching myself for using some words too much xD**

**Review please! Thanks everyone! I'm inspired to write this story right now, so maybe another chapter tomorrow. ;)**


	8. Chapter 7: Sunshine

**First and foremost; I am so sorry for being gone for however long I have been. I know it hasn't been TOO long, but it totally slipped my mind about the requests and updating things…**

**As my explanation, my father has been in and out of the hospital, and everything has been quite hectic at home; so I do hope you'll understand.**

**Btw sorry for some spelling mistakes last chapter. =_= Damn me and my scanning it saying "herp derp no red lines!" Yeah I spelled noticed wrong and chuckling. I don't usually do that so sorry xD**

~The Girl with the Light in her Eyes~

Chapter 7: Sunshine

* * *

"_Sonic."_

As soon as her voice had brought him into hell, it removed him from the purgatory of the truth. It brought him back into reality, the stinging sensation in his head still a constant. He began to weep in his distress, and shook as he did so. She cooed words of comfort into one of his ears as she held him tight, the only thing she could do to help in this situation.

There was no trying to convince Sonic that it wasn't true, or anything of the sort. She knew that trying to convince the blue hedgehog of anything would simply lead him further underneath the pool of lies he had already been drowning in.

Her job was to be his life preserver after all; just when he thought he would drown into each and every misfortune that struck him, she was there to lift him right back up.

"But Amy…" he finally began to blubber between his sobs. His previously decadent views of the truth were shattered, and he couldn't get himself to look into those eyes. She noticed his aversion to her, and moved away for a moment.

The rosy hedgehog cupped her lover's chin with her hands, and slowly moved him to face her. He wouldn't open his eyes as she stroked his face, and continuously attempted to turn to the right and left.

"Open your eyes."

Something in her voice compelled his eyes to open, and once they faced her, he found himself unable to look away. Love, forgiveness, sorrow; they all burned brightly in her eyes, which were determined to infect his with the same brightness. They held a compassionate gaze for what seemed like minutes, ending with Amy finally closing her own eyes.

"Amy…I'm so…"

"I'm not mad," Amy whispered softly as she kissed Sonic's tear stained cheek. But he shook his head, confused by her words. He didn't understand; was he crazy? Clearly from what he had remembered, Amy was dead…she should be, at least. And although he held the hope that Eggman had been playing and it wasn't actually her inside of that robot…there was no way she would make him see that memory without…

"Wait a minute."

Sonic began to regain his composure, mostly because seeing Amy in front of him calmed his mind. The tears finally ceased as he remembered a key fact.

"The lake," he murmured, "wasn't I drowning?"

Sighing at his discovery, Amy gingerly placed a hand on top of Sonic's gloved one. She squeezed his hand lightly as she tilted up her glowing face to stare at his.

"Sounds like I have a lot to explain to you."

* * *

"Sonic…"

Tails' voice carried out through the small house, speaking to no one in particular. The wavelengths of sound bounced off of the metal frame of the home, causing the blue blur's name to echo constantly for some time. Tails sat at the now dented table as he still shook his head in disbelief.

"Could it really be true?" he murmured with a defeated tone. Tails was now back in his house after the searching for his best friend, but after failing to find him and a hope that he wouldn't, Tails gave up. Part of him had no desire to find out if the story was valid, but knew that he had to know.

He thought deeper about the story, again and again trying to convince himself that Shadow just wanted to play with them; he was angry at Sonic and wanted Tails to be as well, just to screw with him.

But Tails knew better than to say Shadow would take time out of his day to tell tall tales; especially when it involved Amy. After the incident with Maria, Shadow had seen glimpses of her within Amy, thus thinking of her as one of the few members of the Sonic team that he could relate to.

"I guess it's just wishful thinking…" Tails mumbled as he laid his head on the dented metal. It was cold, hard, and now was broken forever. It was the same as the fox's innocence; he could never see Sonic in the same light again, as hard as he may try.

Beginning to try and see the truth behind his words, Tails put aside his brotherly love for Sonic, and marched towards his cell phone. Picking it up, he swiftly dialed one of the many numbers he had memorized.

"You realized I wasn't screwing around?" came the reply at the other end. Gulping, Tails gave his simple, short, yet all telling reply.

* * *

"_Guardian Angel?" _Sonic stammered out, unsure if he had heard the girl right. Instead of returning the confused and melancholy expression he outwardly showed her, Amy's eyes grew brighter as she spoke of her fate. She twirled around for the exasperated hedgehog in order to reveal her new features.

Amy's halo was a bright gold color, matching the golden rings she so often wore on both arms. It sparkled as much as she did as she found herself giggling at Sonic's reaction. Even knowing it was a serious moment that he may feel disoriented in, she couldn't help but smile at how typical he behaved.

Sonic, in the meantime, found himself finally absorbing it in. Amy wasn't completely gone yet; at the same time though, she was. The halo glowing upon her head shone brightly, illuminating all that it came into contact with, including Sonic. As if he had miraculously recovered from a disease in mere moments, the color returned to his skin and his fur.

"Amy," Sonic began, taking a breath in to ensure that he was sure of his words. "This was a lot to take in, and I know that. I might be a little bit confused, even now. But…" As if a miracle had been ordered to happen by God himself, Sonic's wild smirk formed on his muzzle. Attitude filled his stance as he put one hand on his hip and winked at the astounded girl.

"I'm gonna do whatever it takes to get you back! I'll give fate a good ass whooping, and I'll grow up right alongside you!"

Tears began to form at the bottom of Amy's eyes; she was touched by his strong words. Never one to go back on a promise, Sonic was as loyal as they come. His smirk was soon replaced by a more serious expression, however. He wasn't finished with his questions for her.

"I have so much to ask…it's not enough time," his face softened up slightly as he spoke. "We'll have time soon enough though."

As the tears began to openly surface on the overjoyed girl's face, Sonic merely chuckled and held her close. "Nu-uh, I won't have any crying." And with that, her tears were gone in an instant, wiped away with Sonic's strong hand.

"But I'd like to know," he inquired as he began his questioning once more, "that…was really you in there? I really…"

Voice trailing off into the wind, Sonic looked down with a fierce expression on his face as he made a fist in the air. He kept back the tears, thinking to himself that he had cried enough that day; besides, he didn't even deserve tears had he…

"Sonic."

Taken out of his vile thoughts, he turned to face her. Amy frowned as she held both of his hands, feeling him shaking in fear of her answer. Her face soon showed his trembling self warmth though, enough to light a fire in his heart.

"Do you know what it takes to become a guardian angel?"

This sudden subject change confused the blue hedgehog as he cocked his head to one side, and raised his eyebrow at her. She giggled at yet another indication that Sonic was still the same hedgehog he always had been.

"It takes love, but most of all, it takes forgiveness and willpower."

The words spilled forth as if a sea of holy water had blessed Sonic all at once. Water overcame him, baptizing him into a new hedgehog, feeling as though he had just been born into a perfect world. Shivering more, he finally gave into the tears that were welling up in his heart. She smiled, knowing that he was more relieved than he had ever been in his entire life.

_She forgives me._

It pulsed through his heart and his brain, both of which finally came to a mutual agreement; the heart was no longer lying to itself about the truth, and the brain was able to ease his guilt. It still hurt to know what he had done to her, yet he also was feeling as if he had won the lottery.

'Funny,' he thought to himself, 'I just find out that it was actually her, yet I'm feeling like I won a million bucks.'

Not a single shadow of doubt clamored from his conscience as he once more told her the words he had never been more sure of in his life:

"This time, I'll be _your_ guardian angel!"

* * *

Now the world may be returned to its vibrant colors for one blue hedgehog, but for some others, the clouds still covered that ray of sunshine that always lay beneath the clouds.

Because the clouds may leave, rain may fall, but in the end, there is one thing that is always in everyone's day, and everyone's life:

Sunshine.

No matter how hidden it may be, or how long it may take for the storm to clear up, the sunshine will always prevail at one point or another, outshining each and every cloud and drop of rain in the sky.

The sun hid itself in the city where a young fox roamed around with a GPS, searching for a certain address. An apartment building finally appeared from within the smog filled city.

Blending in with the bland atmosphere, the building was a distinct shade of gray with small windows all around the sides of the building. The paint was sleek and new, yet it still gave out a frightening vibe. It was polished to the brim, looking to be the newest building in the area.

The fox mustered up his courage and walked in the doors of the building, welcomed by artificial lights all around him. People were smiling and chatting happily beneath expensive chandeliers made of materials that poorer laborers worked for a dime an hour to dig up from the ground. Oblivious to the world and its hardships, the people did not even take a single glance at the orange fox making his way into the building.

After discovering information of his exact destination from the doorman in the lobby, Tails entered the elevator, quickly tapping the button that read '13'. Had he been in a better mood, he would have chuckled at the black and red hedgehog being located on a floor with an unlucky number, but today it hadn't even crossed his mind.

Stepping out of the elevator, he found Shadow sitting in the hallway reading a book; to Tails' surprise it was actually quite a bright place, new and nicely decorated. Upon noticing the fox, Shadow arose from the bench and looked over at Tails. Without another word, he began to walk towards a room in the way back of the hallway, signaling Tails to follow him.

Once they entered, a red echidna sprung up from the couch, a look of annoyance spread across his face. "What took you guys so long?" he grunted while pulling a package out of his microwave. Tails grimaced as he watched Knuckles down the Hot Pocket in a couple of bites.

"I got a bit lost," Tails grumbled. Sitting himself down on the couch, he watched as Shadow began to bicker with Knuckles over eating his Hot Pocket without asking. They were all there for the same reason, yet somehow only Tails was acting the part. For such a serious matter, they were behaving like grade school children.

'_This may take a while.'_

* * *

**Sorry for the long wait again. I hope you enjoyed some more things revealed in this chapter…**

**You'll see everything beginning to turn in an entirely new direction; I actually have a couple of ideas for how to go about the plot! I wonder what Shadow, Knuckles, and Tails are up to...**

**Also if you didn't realize, Amy being Sonic's guardian angel, she's the one who not only saved him from the lake, but when he was all busted up from falling from the tree. Btw the falling from the tree was a reference to A Separate Peace by John Knowles. XD**

**Enjoy as always, I KNOW I HAVE THAT REQUEST AND YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE. I swear I'll do it, with the circumstances of my life I haven't been able to sit down and write lately, so I do promise I'll do it ;_; **

**Review please!**


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